


rivers in the desert

by MajesticAnna



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: F/M, Gen, Gen or Pre-Slash, Gerudo Desert - Freeform, Hurt/Comfort, Pre-Canon, pre-botw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:15:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27212533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MajesticAnna/pseuds/MajesticAnna
Summary: She shouldn’t be out alone in the late afternoon, especially not on an open road. It’s edging towards evening and sunset, when bandits and Stal monsters like to attack unsuspecting travelers.Link picks up speed. He needs to find her quickly.+++Zelda escapes from Link in the Gerudo Desert. An interpretation of Memory #4.
Relationships: Link & Zelda (Legend of Zelda), Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 86





	rivers in the desert

Link drinks from his metal canteen at the Gerudo Canyon stable. Around him, travelers chat among themselves. Someone pulls out a lute and begins to strum it, to the delight of their fellow merchants. The desert heat is cooling, and the water trickling down his throat feels nice after a day of dry sun. 

He places his flask down. Taps his hand against his palm. Hums a harmony to the merry notes.

It’s getting late. He turns his head to the stairs leading to the inn. 

She wouldn’t have… would she?

His instincts told him to go check on her, so he quickly crosses the room and treks up the stairs. He stops in front of the princesses’ room, where she was supposed to be changing and grabbing her bag so they could make their way to Kara Kara Bazaar.

Knocking on the door, he barely sighs when it swings open to an empty room. 

Zelda escaped from him again. 

Link huffs. He takes a second, just one, for himself. Then he sprints across the room and launches through the open window. He lands safely in a roll on the ground.

A person next to the stable screams at his fast drop, but Link ignores them and continues jogging down the road.

She shouldn’t be out alone in the late afternoon, especially not on an open road. It’s edging towards evening and sunset, when bandits and Stal monsters like to attack unsuspecting travelers. 

Link picks up speed. He needs to find her quickly.

+++

It’s a straight shot to the small oasis, but when he arrives, Zelda isn’t there. He curses silently. The travelers nearby capture his attention, and he inquires about the area. There’s a couple ruins nearby; Link picks a direction and walks. 

He thinks on what to say to the princess when he finds her. Only days into their expedition and she’s already escaped from him more than once. Her fascination with Sheikah technology and the critters in the cavernous highlands distract her easily; and perhaps, her distaste for Link convinces her of a need to get space from him.

Link gets it. Or, he doesn’t know why she dislikes him, but being forced to travel with someone she doesn’t care for is understandably unappealing.

Yet this is Link’s job: to protect Zelda as she continues to try and discover her powers. And, away from the prying eyes of King Rhoam, to allow her to experiment with the Divine Beast and Guardian technology.

The last part isn’t really his job. In fact, King Rhoam would probably turn as red as his coat if he knew Zelda’s precious prayer time was partially stolen by tinkering with Guardian parts. However, her crinkled eyes and bright smile make the risk well worth it.

Link feels his own lips upturn at the memory of sooty fingernails and frazzled hair as she showed him the progress of her updates to the Guardian machines. Despite her sour feelings for Link, Zelda could be kind to him, too. More than she knew.

His thoughts are viciously snatched from his grasp with a distressed cry breaking through the wind. Link sprints toward the sound, his feet pounding through the loose sand to find the origin. He hears a maniacal cackle follow and fear dips down into his bones.

Yiga Clan. 

He pushes faster.

Digging into his stamina reserves, he jumps over a boulder, unsheathing his sword in one swift motion. The clang of metal on metal clashes through the air and Link slices through the Yiga Clan member before him. The other unsuspecting Yiga, far too obsessed with the princess behind him, blanch at his appearance. He takes a stance. Glares at them. 

Seeing their wounded comrade, they back away, and vanish in a puff of smoke.

Link stays still for a few moments, to see if any other members dare attack her now that he’s here. When none show, he shifts his body weight and rolls his shoulders, slinging his sword into the scabbard on his back.

He turns to the princess and offers a hand.

She blinks up at him. Shaking her head, she takes the offering, and rises to her feet.

“Are you okay?” Link asks. 

She smiles. It’s reassuring of her well-being, if shaky at the edges. 

“Yes. I am.”

+++

The quiet night is broken only by the crackle of the fire before them, far away from the heavy breathing of the merchants and travelers who have succumbed to rest for the night. Link and Zelda are both awake, watching the flames lick the wood eagerly. He adds another log to the fire.

Zelda clutches her arms, and Link tracks the movement. Her nails bite into the flesh of her skin, grasping them for the comfort the fire doesn’t provide.

Link’s heart and mind pull him in different directions. Does he ask if she wants to speak about it, potentially angering her, or continue to sit in silence and wait to see if she brings it up herself? In the end, the decision is made for him, when Zelda says, “I suppose I owe you thanks.”

Link shuffles his feet. Takes a deep breath. “There’s no need for that.”

“What?” Zelda bristles. “I can’t thank you for saving my life?”

Not for the first time, Link wishes the words he wants to say did not get stuck in his throat. He swallows past the tension. Tries again. “It’s my duty to protect you.”

“But that’s just it, isn’t it?” Zelda sounds miserable as she curls in on herself. “If I was smarter and didn’t run off on my own, maybe I would have avoided being attacked and nearly killed.”

Link opens his mouth, thinking on how to respond, but she waves him off. “I’m sorry. I’m not mad at you.” She stares into the flames. “I’m mad at myself for carelessly discarding all of our hopes, only so I could examine some stupid Sheikah shrine.”

The fire crackles, a bright contrast to the somber mood of the princess and knight sitting around it. Link resettles on his bedroll, pushes some loose pebbles with his hand. Zelda watches him with a wry smile.

“Goddess, I’m sorry for making things even more awkward,” Zelda says. She sighs. “Oh, Hylia, sometimes I don’t know how to talk to you. My intentions get mixed in with my emotions and I end up saying something I regret.” She chuckles darkly. “I keep making a mess of things.”

“You know,” Zelda continues, shifting her gaze away from Link. “I’ve never hated you. I know what you may think, about how I treated you, running away at every opportunity, but it’s not that.” She inhales, as if steeling herself for what she may say next. “Being around you, the expectations, they’re suffocating. And the truth is: I’m afraid.”

“I’m afraid of what you think of me.” 

Link raises his eyebrows. He breaks his silence: “What I think of you—?”

“Yes!” Zelda shouts. She quiets, fearful of waking the other travelers, and continues in a low voice. “You’re Hylia’s Champion, the wielder of the Master Sword. You were chosen to help seal the darkness.”

“And me?” Zelda scoffs, bitter. “I’m the worthless princess who the Goddess won’t even deign to speak to.”

She lets her words drift off, the wind pushing sand and dirt through stone. Right now, more than ever, Link thinks she looks small. Not at all like her normal, powerful presence. 

Link can’t take it anymore. He moves quickly, places his hands on Zelda’s. Her eyes widen, whether at the impropriety or the speed.

“You…” He says. Shakes his head. “You are more than that.”

Zelda’s cheeks color prettily, but he doesn’t leave it there. He grabs his bag, and opens it, rummaging through the contents.

“What—What are you—?” Zelda says, before her eyes are taken by the things he reveals. “Are these Guardian parts? From the ruins? And is this a preserved Darner dragonfly? Link, why did you—”

“For you.” Link ignores the warmth blooming on his neck, threatening to reveal himself. 

“But why—”

“I like watching you explore,” Link says. “You look happy.”

Zelda doesn’t have anything to say to that, simply stares back at him.

Link smiles softly, begins to organize the contents to avoid her eyes. “What if, when you wanted to examine a Shrine, or look at a butterfly, you’d let me stay with you. I can help you collect or document, whatever you need.” He winces. “Just don't… don’t run away. Please.”

The tension in Zelda’s body breaks in one fell swoop; she dissolves into quiet giggles, chiming brightly in the quiet night. Link’s own lips twitch upward. 

“I think I can do that,” Zelda says, when she can finally speak past the laughter. “Can you promise me something, though?”

Link nods, encourages her to go on.

“Can we try to get to know one another?” Zelda fiddles with her left palm, tracing the back of it. “We are bound by duty, but I’d like it if we could. If we could be friends, too.”

Link’s eyes widen at the proposition; still, he can’t disagree, not with her lower lip pursed and eyes glimmering in supplication, to him, no less.

“Yes,” Link says. He straightens. “We can be friends.”

Zelda watches him, giggles again. “You don’t need to be so serious about it.” She snickers. “Were you considering denying my request?”

“Never.”

“Oh?” Her smile reflects the light before her. “Then, I look forward to getting to know you.”

Link nods, a slight bow to his head. 

Their pact made, Link snuffs out the fire, and Zelda prepares for sleep. They had a long day tomorrow, speaking with the Gerudo chief and exploring Vah Naboris. Rest would be needed to ensure they could focus on the task before them.

Glancing over at the sleeping princess, Link drinks in the soft flutter of her eyelashes and slow exhaling breaths. He turns over to look at the stars sparkling above, infinite in their wisdom, their knowledge of the present and future. 

On a pallet over a rocky sandbed, he sleeps better than he has in months. 

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so if this surprises you, this game is too fun, and I love Zelink sm. My multifandom focus really be wildin', huh. 
> 
> twitter: [@majesticdeku](https://twitter.com/majesticdeku)  
> tumblr: [majesticanna](https://majesticanna.tumblr.com/)  
> 


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